Declan Rice hands Arsenal boost after ending fitness frustration with England at World Cup | OneFootball

Declan Rice has dismissed concerns over his workload at Arsenal after banishing “frustration” during the World Cup last summer.

Rice concluded a marathon season for club and country after England’s run to the semi-finals, finishing on 69 games.

Despite showing signs of fatigue with the Three Lions, having also starred in Arsenal’s run to the Champions League final, Rice insists he can handle that quantity of games moving forward after a valuable rest before resuming action with the Gunners.

“I think for the last six seasons, even since my West Ham days when it was in Europe, I've played 60 plus every season,” Rice said. “So I think it is sustainable because I've shown that I can do it.

“It's just about maintaining it, maintaining the level and the consistency of the performances. For me, that's the main thing, showing up every week, giving a good account of myself and helping the team win. I've been lucky enough to be able to do that. So I'm really hungry to be able to do that again this season.”

And Rice, after Arsenal’s winning start to the league phase in the Champions League, thanks to Martin Odegaard’s strike in the 1-0 win over Napoli, is also thrilled to be over a niggle that plagued his ability to be fresh under Thomas Tuchel in the United States.

Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice during Napoli v Arsenal (Reuters)

“Yes, it was tough,” Rice recalled when quizzed on his fitness issues at the World Cup. “I think everyone knew I had an issue with a neural hamstring. But also on the top of the Premier League season, which was so demanding, the Champions League, to then play a World Cup in that heat really does take its toll. I'm a player that goes on the pitch, wants to be fresh and give 100 per cent every time I put on an England shirt.

“And yes, there were stages where I felt really, really good and stages where I didn't feel I was good. And obviously I had the illness going into the Norway game, which didn't really help. So there were a few things that frustrated me, just with myself, just not feeling 100 per cent. But there were games where I felt really good, like Congo. So it's one of those things I just had to manage. And like I said, in the summer, I just took a complete time off.”